In just eight days, the master-blaster COSON Week 2025 will blast off!
At 4.00pm on Sunday, May 25, some of Nigeria’s greatest and most mesmerising gospel music performers, such as Buchi, Mike Abdul, Righteousman, Ighosa Obaro, Efe Nathan, Esther Igbekele, Chika 100%, Kenny Saint Brown and many more, will mount the stage at Chapel of Christ the Light in Alausa, Ikeja. The auditorium of the non-denominational chapel will be the epicentre of the country and the National Day of Prayer, from which the songs and praise of Nigeria’s topmost gospel singers and ministers of the gospel, is beamed to millions of citizens, in towns and villages across Nigeria and across the world.
The singers and ministers will raise their voices in praise and worship, like never before, and seek the face of the Almighty to intervene in the challenges that torment the citizens of the Nigerian nation and to remove the chains that bind our people to under-development, hunger, poverty, insecurity and lack of real progress.
The various links in the unprecedented mix of simultaneous broadcast, streaming and videocasting, to enable the diverse people of Nigeria, wherever they may be, join in the supplication to give the Nigerian nation a new lease of life and to restore optimism to Nigeria’s children, were made public during the week.
If you truly love the Nigerian nation and genuinely want a turn-around in the affairs of the country, you cannot afford to miss the National Day of Prayer. The beauty of it is that you can participate, from wherever you are. I implore you to be part of this historic event.
Of course, other massive events of the COSON Week taking place between May 25 and May 31, include “The 2025 COSON Lecture”. The lecture will take place on May 26, and erudite lawyer and top political player, Babatunde Ogala SAN will address the critical subject, “The Political & Legal Environment Necessary for the Continued Growth of the Nigerian Creative Industry”.
A special panel of knowledgeable legal minds, top policy makers and respected creative industry operatives will dissect and discuss the paper, to enrich policy making for the creative and related industries in the Nigerian nation.
The discussions will be led by Prof. Duro Oni, emeritus professor of Creative Arts and former Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos. The other discussants include Mrs. Toke Benson Awoyinka, Hon Commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture – Lagos State; Dr. Shaibu Hussein, Executive Director, National Film & Video Censors Board and Hon. Jese Okey Joe Onuakalusi, Lawyer & Hon. Member, House of Representatives.
With the quality of the minds that have consistently gathered at each of the lectures, the COSON Lecture series has easily become Nigeria’s most sought-after event for the discussion of creativity, content, and developments in the new global knowledge economy and the continued growth of the very important Nigerian creative industry.
Come Tuesday, May 27, which will be celebrated as Children’s Day across Nigeria, the magnificent COSON House in Ikeja, Lagos, the Headquarters of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), will play host to a select group of Nigerian children, aged between 10 and 15 years old, at an event tagged “Children’s Day at COSON House”.
At COSON House, the children will do a big photo shoot on the red carpet. They will also be treated to live performances at the COSON House Arena. They will then be taken through a lecture tagged “Introduction to Copyright” by a team of copyright experts. They will have lunch and thereafter be made to write a test based on what they had been taught. The best students, as judged by a panel, will receive certificates, significant cash prizes and gifts.
On Wednesday, May 28, it will be explosive as the city of Lagos experiences for the first time ever, an unprecedented 24 hours non-stop music concert, “The COSON Mega Jamz” at Freedom Park Lagos. Freedom Park, will, without question, be the Headquarters of enjoyment, skanking, dancing and fun in Nigeria, on that day.
In cooperation with the top-notch Care Life Medical Centre, Lagos; doctors, nurses, medical lab experts and pharmacists, will on Thursday May 29, be on hand at COSON House, Ikeja, to examine sick and infirmed musicians, provide care and medications to them at absolutely no cost, as the event called “the COSON Medical Outreach” takes place.
“COSON in the Mosque” will hold at Lagos Central Mosque, Carter Street, Ebute Metta on May 30 and creative people of the Islamic faith are invited to come to the mosque for special prayers for the Nigerian nation and the creative industry.
In the evening of the same May 30, the super-exclusive “COSON Green Ball” will take place and 150 of Nigeria’s most influential persons and their spouses chosen by ordinary citizens via the Internet, will be given a treat of a life time. Nigeria’s crème de la crème will present their delivered special passports at MUSON Center, Lagos, pass through immigration, get their visas on arrival, obtain their Boarding Passes, walk the green carpet with paparazzi clicking away. They will then board a special flight to “Pleasure Land” and be treated to the best cuisine money can buy and enjoy the best entertainment to be found anywhere.
Afro Juju creator, Sir Shina Peters, whose birthday is on May 30 has promised that it will be “fire” at the Green Ball. Take it from me: No one lucky enough to be at the 2025 COSON Green Ball will ever forget the experience.
Let me confess that driving these seven massive events spread across seven different venues in seven days has tested everything I have got. Dealing with the ever-changing logistics, the myriads of personalities and temperaments, is an incredible test of any person’s ability in the management of men and resources.
Now, we are where the rubber meets the road. The time for talk is over. COSON Week is right in front of us. During the week, my doctor had to come and give me five injections on my bum because some crazy malaria chose this moment to attack.
I took my injections and went straight back to work, dealing with the thousands of things that can make any event succeed or fail.
I promise you that no crazy malaria will stop COSON Week 2025!
See you next week.
